Atoms and Molecules as Quantum Attosecond Processors

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that atoms and molecules can serve as quantum attosecond processors, achieving unprecedented temporal resolution in optical computation and control, surpassing optical resonators by over 100,000 times.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach using atomic and molecular systems for attosecond-level temporal processing, overcoming previous limitations of optical resonators.

Findings

Atoms and molecules can perform temporal integration of incident fields.

Feasible atomic transitions for attosecond processing are identified.

Techniques for waveform differentiation at attosecond resolution are proposed.

Abstract

Advancing temporal resolution in computation, signal modulation, and measurement is crucial for pushing the frontiers of modern science and technology. Optical resonators have recently demonstrated computational operations at frequencies beyond the gigahertz range, surpassing conventional electronics, yet remain constrained by an inherent trade-off between temporal resolution and operation time -- limiting performance to the picosecond scale. Here we show that atoms and molecules can overcome this limitation, enabling attosecond-level temporal resolution with over 100,000-fold higher precision than state-of-the-art optical resonators while sustaining long operation times. When resonantly driven, these systems naturally perform temporal integration of the incident field envelope -- a process verified by solving the Bloch equations using four independent formulations in excellent agreement with analytic predictions. We identify feasible atomic transitions and excitation schemes realizable with current technology. Furthermore, we suggest techniques to differentiate and generate waveforms at such resolution. These results establish a new paradigm for attosecond-resolution optical computation, signal modulation, and ultrafast control in atomic and quantum systems.